Scarlett's muscles ached as she stumbled into her room, her wooden practice sword still in hand. The training session with her father had been grueling, and his unrelenting approach to combat left her both exhilarated and drained. The underground room, with its cold walls and chilling silence, felt like a separate world. For the first time, she felt she was beginning to piece together a part of her father's secret life—one she was now determined to understand.
She placed the practice sword beside her bed, running her fingers along the smooth wood. Her father hadn’t gone easy on her. His strikes were calculated, his movements swift and powerful. She had spent most of the session dodging and stumbling, trying to keep up with his expertise.
Yet, despite his harsh demeanor, Scarlett could se
